Speculum
by walked-into-the-sky
Summary: The boy could only take so much of his own darkness. It was consuming him in ways that weren't natural. Even Piccolo recognized it. It was almost as if...it had a mind of its own...
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own the brilliance that is Dragonball Z. So sad, I know.

Title: Speculum

Author: The Unconventional Lady

Summary: Son Gohan seemed happy. It appeared that in the two years since the Cell Games he had recovered. But, as his family and friends are about to find out…appearances can be deceiving.

Um…I guess you could call this my 'epic'. I am going to attempt a 'psychological thriller' here. Yeah, it'll probably fall flat…or turn into a horror story with no deeper meaning…but I'm honestly going to try here. I'm exploring Gohan with this. Yes, he is my favorite character. But, to me, it doesn't make sense that after the trauma of the Cell Games he'd just go on being a happy, normal, cheerful kid. I know, it's very bleak…but I just don't think it should have happened that way. So…I guess, in some ways this is another one of those Gohan torture fics. Sorry about that. Hopefully it puts a new spin on the idea.

Prologue

Self loathing is an ugly thing.

Self pity is even worse, but he had rid himself of _that _vile feeling months ago. Not that it helped any. The stomach twisting guilt was still there, slowly and painfully eating away at his insides. Every day another small part of who he was seemed to simply cease to exist, leaving his soul with nothing but big, gaping holes. Son Gohan in his entirety was fading. He was dying inside.

The worst parts came when it was visible to the others. Those brief slips in his composure that had shown his friends and family that he was in fact _not_ happy. That he had tried, and failed miserably, to expel the events of that day from his memory. That his insides were being slowly corroded by the acidic presence of his endless guilt.

The first time had been with Piccolo. Not that it had surprised him that the Namek knew. The mental bond that had been forged between them had never been more potent than it had been that morning. He would never forget the severity of his teacher's expression…or the dangerous tone he adopted when he had asked…

"_Are you hiding something from me, Gohan?"_

_It hadn't really been a question, though Piccolo had phrased it as one. It was more a statement of fact. His mentor knew…he could see…_

"_N-no."_

_And yet he still denied it. This was not something the Namek could help him with. It wasn't something that could be fixed, even by a best friend. He wasn't even sure that he wanted help, from anyone._

_Because after all…what good would it do?_

A/N: So, um, yeah. What do you think? Too heavy? Or too light, even? Does the writing absolutely suck (THAT wouldn't surprise me at all)? So…read and review? Keep in mind that that was the prologue. The other chapters will be much longer…maybe darker, but I'm not exactly sure about that yet. The real plot probably won't even become clear until chapter four or chapter five.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or settings of Dragonball Z.

Curious Spider: Thank you for the lovely review! It was very helpful! Thanks for the support!

Chapter One

It was very bright.

Not that he minded much. The fluorescent lights cast themselves oddly on his face, making it less repulsive than usual. They were so brilliant they hid the darkness that had been slowly but surely eating away at his once naïve countenance. And if he couldn't see it, he could almost convince himself that it wasn't there.

But still, looking at his reflection was a form of slow torture for him. Seeing himself threw it into sharp perspective. Everything he had been running from, the lies he had been telling himself for the past two years, they were all there, hiding just behind his once kind eyes.

His hands found the sides of the white marble sink and gripped hard as he stared into those black, burning depths. Another episode was coming on. His face contorted into a grimace. This was NOT a good time.

A small snarl escaped his throat and his gaze turned murderous as he floundered for self control. A smile, wild and sadistic, took his mouth. His eyes, suddenly his own again, stared at it in fear. For one terrible moment, it seemed that the darkness had expanded its area of control.

And then a knock sounded at the door.

"Gohan, buddy, are you done in there? I gotta _pee_…"

"Krillin," the boy muttered, more to himself than the man outside. He shook his head slightly and then looked back at his reflection, noting the sudden absence of the shadows that normally plagued his eyes. He blinked.

_It's…gone?_

"Gohan," Krillin moaned, the sound of his fist hitting the door jerking the demi-saiyan from his thoughts. He glanced once more at his reflection, again letting his gaze pass over his eyes. A slow smile lit up his face.

It had been months since his eyes looked anywhere near calm. Grinning, he threw the door open and clapped his hands on both of Krillin's shoulders.

"Bathroom's all yours," he said brightly, before practically skipping back into the Briefs' living room. Krillin stood still for a moment, staring after his young friend.

_What's got him so happy all of a sudden?_

* * *

Out in the living room, Gohan picked up the first plate of shrimp he saw and proceeded to devour it. His mother, who was sitting beside Bulma on the couch, watched this with a smile on her face. Leaning over to her friend, she whispered, "Look at Gohan! He hasn't had such an appetite in months! He hasn't even looked that happy in months! This party was a great idea; it's done him so much good already to be around his friends!"

Bulma grinned, "Yeah, a little socialization was all he needed. I'm telling you Chi Chi, a few more little get togethers like this and he'll be back to normal."

Gohan noticed his mother's gaze and shot her a large smile. He put down the now empty plate and crossed the room to join the two women.

"Bulma that was great shrimp! And this is a great party! Thanks for inviting us!" He offered a small bow. Bulma waved away the thanks with one hand, giggling as some punch slipped out of her cup at the movement.

"Gohan, now you know it wouldn't be a party without you! Come on, eat some more! I got half this food for you, Vegeta, and Trunks anyways! Saiyan appetites, you know!" The teen grinned.

"Thanks!"

He bowed again, shot them one final dazzling smile, and retreated to the kitchen. Chi Chi was delighted.

"That's my Gohan. Thank Kami he's back."

* * *

Vegeta looked up when the boy entered the room.

He had been leaning against the far wall from the door eating what he assumed was a ham sandwich (though one could never tell with Bulma's cooking), but he abandoned the food on the counter as soon as Gohan came through the door. He watched as Kakarrot's son, apparently oblivious to his presence, began to load a plate up with some form of salad. Slowly, Vegeta moved towards him from the side, tensed, prepared for whatever reaction his approach earned him. For a moment, it appeared that Gohan had no idea there was someone else in the kitchen.

"Hey, Vegeta."

The Saiyan Prince stopped dead in his tracks, never taking his eyes off the youth. "Gohan," he greeted in a low, even tone. Black eyes flicked in his direction before turning back to the small buffet spread out over the surfaces of the kitchen. Vegeta watched as he grabbed a bun and then a fork to spear a hamburger with. There was a pregnant silence.

"Up for a spar?" The older man asked suddenly after five minutes of watching the teen gather food. Gohan turned fully to face him now, his mouth wide open and his first fork-full of salad halfway to his mouth.

"Spar?"

Vegeta winced at how idiotic the boy's response sounded, especially coupled with the ridiculous look on his face. "Yes, boy," he snapped. Gohan blinked.

"Er…" he began uncertainly, "Um…I guess. Where?"

Vegeta's eyebrow began to twitch. And here he was thinking that Kakarrot's brat was smart. "Outside," he forced between clenched teeth, his fisted hands beginning to shake. How could the boy be _this_ slow? Gohan stared at him for another long moment, his expression still one of extreme confusion.

"Oh…okay," he looked back down at his full plate, considered it a moment, then back up to the wildly frustrated Saiyan Prince, "Um…is it okay if I finish my food first?"

Vegeta actually had to turn away to resist the urge to break Gohan's nose. "Yes," he hissed, starting towards the living room. He would rather deal with his ridiculous wife and her imbecile friends than talk to the bizarre teen any longer, "Meet me outside when you're done."

"Uh…okay," Gohan called to his retreating back.

* * *

Twenty minutes later a fuming Vegeta was pacing the large backyard of Capsule Corp., waiting for his young opponent to finish his meal. The rest of the small party had congregated on the small balcony to watch the spar. Krillin and Yamcha were both leaning on the railing, watching the frustrated Saiyan Prince below them.

"He seems rather anxious…" Chi Chi commented from behind them, sounding worried. Krillin looked back at her, bobbing his head slowly in agreement.

"I know…I haven't seen him this reared up for a fight in years."

His wife, Android 18, sat across from Chi Chi and Bulma with their daughter Marron on her lap. She cast a disdainful look out over the railing at Vegeta, then turned her unnervingly blank eyes towards the sliding glass door behind her.

The other two women, noticing the movement, looked back as well. Gohan had finally appeared on the patio, his expression strangely empty, his dark eyes gazing down at the fuming Vegeta. Immediately, his mother was on her feet.

"Gohan…is something wrong?"

He glanced at her, his expression foreboding.

"No, mom…it's nothing." He said in a monotone as his feet lifted off the patio's surface. He rose several feet in the air and passed over Yamcha and Krillin's heads to hover directly over the Saiyan Prince. Vegeta's head jerked up and he glowered at the boy above him. Then, he slowly rose so they were eye level.

"Ready, kid?"

That blank look in the teen's eyes was starting to scare some of the observers on the patio.

"Vegeta should be careful," Krillin whispered to Yamcha. His friend didn't respond. He seemed to be transfixed by the two floating warriors before them.

Gohan nodded slowly.

A/N: So remember what I said about the plot not being clear until chapter 4 or 5? …I lied. Some of you may even get it now…I'm not sure how obvious I'm being. Eheh…

So anyways…I hope you like this chapter. I kinda do, actually, even though it is kinda vague (I hope).

Read and review! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own.

Curious Spider: Another amazing review! Thanks for pointing out the spelling error, sometimes I get so caught up in making sure it flows well that I don't pay attention to stuff like that…- And in regards to the Kami thing…I've seen it used both ways in DBZ fics…but I was referring to God, not the character.

So, lots of you think I'm making him Schizophrenic…

Well, you'll just have to wait and see!

Chapter 2

Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans, had been in battle for the majority of his life. He had faced the likes of the worst tyrants in the universe, the vilest creatures, and the most powerful warriors. Never once had he let himself show any sign of weakness, even the barest hint of the tiniest flinch. It was something he prided himself on.

But never in all of his years as a warrior had he seen an expression that even came close to the one contorting Son Gohan's countenance as they faced each other, preparing to spar. Never had he seen such complete and utter…

_Emptiness._

Even in the faces of the androids, inhuman monsters that they were, there was still emotion when they fought. They, at least, seemed to enjoy it, albeit in sadistic ways. And Gohan, though Vegeta had only _really_ watched him fight against Cell, had at least shown anger and pain when he was in battle, even before the actual fighting started. The boy had one of the most expressive faces he had ever seen.

And yet now bottomless, cold, dark, _empty_ eyes stared across the air at him, turning his stomach in ways he had never experienced.

It took every ounce of self control he had not to call off the spar. He had to force himself to open his mouth to speak.

"Ready, kid?" he asked again.

He could hear the strain in his voice. It was enough to make him want to vomit. How could a little boy be affecting him in such a way? He was a half breed brat! He was…

Gohan's expression didn't change. He didn't even lift an eyebrow at the repeated question and the only sign he gave that he had even heard the Saiyan Prince speak was a slight inclination of his head. Blank black eyes stared at him.

_Frightening._

Vegeta swallowed hard.

He could feel the gazes of their audience burning up at them from the patio. He chanced a glance down at them and saw the worry on Krillin and Yamcha's faces. So, they could see it too? They could see the bizarre, unnerving change that had come over Gohan sometime in the past twenty minutes? They sensed the danger he did? He looked back to the demi-saiyan floating barely five feet from him, back to the horrible blankness he saw in that young face.

_What has happened to you, Gohan?_

Gohan hovered silently, staring emotionlessly, waiting for the older man to make the first move.

And Vegeta, despite the fact that he had called for the spar, despite the fact that he had noticed Gohan's strange behavior long before this and had tried to prepare himself for it, despite the fact that he was the brave Saiyan Prince, couldn't make his body move.

He was literally paralyzed with fear.

And still, his barely teenaged opponent simply stood there in mid air, doing nothing…feeling nothing…

Vegeta couldn't take it anymore.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The words burst from his mouth in a strangled hiss. He knew his expression was filled with the same wild fear his voice was, but he didn't care. Nor did he care that Krillin and Yamcha were watching. It did nothing to damage his pride.

After all, they saw it too. They saw the terrible, frightening emptiness that had become Son Gohan.

Son Gohan…the boy who had yet to move, or even acknowledge Vegeta any more than through staring at him. That horrifying, paralyzing stare.

"Kid," the distressed Saiyan Prince spat, "This isn't normal!"

And finally, in response to these words, the demi-saiyan moved. It was a small movement, barely a twitch, but it was enough to provoke Vegeta to draw back further. Enough to make Krillin turn to the women behind him and hiss at them to get inside the house. Enough to make Yamcha literally squeak with fear.

Son Gohan's eyes narrowed, forming two completely black slits in his young face. The rest of his expression remained neutral. No snarl took his mouth, no grimace furrowed his brows, and no angry flush entered his pale cheeks. But the small change in his twin black orbs was more than enough to terrify his audience.

Hatred was radiating out of them.

Somehow, Vegeta found himself preferring the emptiness.

"Gohan…?" Krillin floated upwards so he was positioned beside Vegeta, his hands held out in what he clearly thought was a pacifying way, "Come on, buddy…what's wrong? What is it?"

This provoked another movement in the teen. His fingers, which had been hanging limply at his sides, curled into fists. He lifted his arms slightly, anger slowly leaking from his eyes to the other parts of his face. He barred his teeth, his expression becoming feral.

Vegeta shifted into a fighting stance, exchanging a sideways look with Krillin. The bald man did not adopt a defensive position, however. Instead, he began to inch forward, his hands still held up, trying to convey the message that he meant no harm.

Judging by the way Gohan was looking at him, he was failing miserably.

"Gohan…buddy…you can tell me…"

But evidently the demi-saiyan did not feel he could tell his older friend. His expression didn't soften in the slightest with this promise, if anything it became darker. Krillin froze in his slow approach and Vegeta raised his ki a little in warning.

There was no warning, no tell tale energy flare, no snarl of rage, not even a shift in the air to inform either adults that the teen had moved. All they knew was that one second Son Gohan had been floating, his expression animalistic, seven feet away from them and the next he was directly in front of Vegeta, hissing like an angry snake. The Saiyan Prince lurched his upper body backwards, his eyes widening with shock and fear.

And slowly, to the watching Krillin's horror, the infuriated teen's hand reached out and upwards...finally finding its target after what seemed an eternity to the two adults.

Vegeta gagged when the fingers closed on his throat.

A/N: Yeah…this chapter would end up twenty pages if I kept it going now. Hopefully you like it…I realize it's very descriptive and all that but…yeah. Please review…but don't be too mean if you don't like it.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: No ownage in this corner.

Thanks for all the reviews! Cyber cookies for all!

Chapter 3

Vegeta's hands immediately flew up, grabbing the demi-saiyan's wrist. Gohan bared his teeth in response and tightened his grip on the older man, his eyes burning with rage. Krillin, still paralyzed with shock, was surprised the teen hadn't flared into his Super form yet. He certainly seemed angry enough.

Another strangled noise erupted from Vegeta's throat, jerking the ex monk from his stupefied state.

"Gohan, what in Kami's name are you doing?!"

He got no response from the livid boy, other than another squeeze to the terrified Saiyan Prince's neck. Vegeta, too, seemed unable to move, his eyes locked on the horrible black depths before him. Krillin deliberated for a moment, staring at the terrifying display before him and wondering which outcome would be worse: letting Gohan continue to choke the man in his grasp, or Gohan's reaction to his interference.

A strangled cry made the decision for him.

Without a second thought, Krillin launched himself forward and attached himself to Gohan's back, prying those gripping fingers from Vegeta's throat and dragging the enraged boy backwards. Vegeta gasped, leaning forward and rubbing his tender neck, before lifting his gaze to stare at the demi-saiyan in Krillin's arms.

The change was so drastic that his mouth fell open in shock.

Wide, confused black eyes stared back at him. Son Gohan looked like he had just woken up in a place entirely different from the one he had fallen asleep in. Vegeta felt his own eyes widening.

"Kid…" he muttered. Krillin caught his gaze and released Gohan slowly. He drifted backwards, still in a defensive position, staring cautiously at the demi-saiyan's back.

"Gohan…buddy…are you okay?"

Vegeta watched as the teen twitched and glanced backwards at the ex monk. Bewilderment was still dominating his face.

"I…don't know…"

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Vegeta spat, his hand still rubbing his throat. Red marks stood out vividly against his pale skin. He watched as Gohan's eyes followed his movements and widened with horror as they caught the blotches of angry scarlet.

"Vegeta…are you okay?" the two adults exchanged a bewildered look, "What happened?" Gohan fell into a defensive position, his eyes immediately scanning the area, "Are we being attacked?"

Krillin edged slowly around the demi-saiyan to hover beside Vegeta, carefully watching his best friend's son as he moved. Gohan seemed genuinely confused by the entire situation and he clearly did not remember attacking the Saiyan Prince so viciously moments before. Vegeta himself seemed to be at a loss for words, so the human man chose to speak to Gohan, albeit carefully.

"Do you remember anything at has happened in the past…," Krillin paused. How long had the 'fight' lasted? How long had Gohan been…in the state he had been in? "Fifteen minutes?" he threw out, as the fight had barely lasted eight. Surely this…strange transformation had occurred before then.

"Fifteen minutes," Gohan scratched the back of his head in the typical Son fashion, "I…uh…I remember finishing my food…I was coming to spar with Vegeta…" he trailed off, staring again at the slowly fading marks on said man's neck. A small spark of realization appeared behind his black eyes. His mouth opened slightly.

Vegeta was glowering and Krillin got the feeling that if he didn't keep control of the conversation, the Saiyan would take it in a very unwanted direction. Steeling himself, he asked, "Gohan, do you remember attacking Vegeta…and trying to kill him?"

"Trying to k-?"

"Yes, you idiot boy!" The Saiyan Prince exploded, his body shaking in fury, "Trying to kill me!"

Gohan flinched, his head dipping slightly. "No," he grumbled, his own hands curling into quivering fists, "I don't remember…"

Krillin stared between the pair nervously, watching as Vegeta fumed and Gohan gazed miserably at the ground. He was surprised at the teen's reaction to this revelation. If he had been told that he had just made an attempt on a friend's life and couldn't remember doing it, he would be surprised, horrified, and worried. The only emotion Gohan seemed to be feeling, however, was shame and possibly a little sadness. He wasn't shocked at all by Krillin's words.

What did it mean?

Vegeta growled, clearly growing impatient by Gohan's lack of horror as well, "Boy, you just tried to kill me! I want to know why!"

The demi-saiyan took a deep breath and closed his eyes, apparently bracing himself. Vegeta let out a full blown snarl of rage.

"Answer me, Gohan!"

Krillin opened his mouth to protest and was surprised when his voice was joined by another.

"Vegeta, that's enough!"

Gohan's head jerked up, the shame in his face momentarily replaced by something akin to joy, "Piccolo!"

Krillin turned to greet the new comer, but Vegeta didn't take his gaze off the demi-saiyan, "Namek, the kid is _out of control_!"

Piccolo descended so he was positioned between the human and Saiyan men, his eyes locked on Gohan as well, "It's none of your concern, Vegeta," he muttered as he began to drift forward, "Come on, Gohan, it's okay…"

"I-!" the teen began to protest, only to be cut off by his mentor.

"_No._ Come on." The Namekian grabbed Gohan's shoulder and tugged him away from the other two. Vegeta hissed in annoyance.

"Piccolo," Krillin started forward as well, "What's going on?"

"Nothing," the tall green warrior glanced back at him, his eyes filled with unmasked urgency, "I'll take care of everything."

"But-!" another look effectively shut the ex monk up, "Okay…what do I tell Chi Chi?"

"That her son needs time," Piccolo began to tug Gohan further away, "That's it."

Krillin understood the underlying message and gave a curt nod, "Right. If you need anything, call me."

Without so much as a glance in acknowledgement, Piccolo swept the teenage boy away, vanishing quickly into the sky.

Author's Note: Two things. One…filler chapter. I know I said that the previous one would end up being super long…and…well…things changed a little. I decided on a different approach to this section. I hope you like it.

And the second thing is, though I know I stupidly didn't mention it before in the story, because I'm scatter brained like that, Chi Chi is currently four months pregnant with Goten. Yeah.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Darkestshadow: Bulma did not see the problem because she hadn't seen him in a while and, up until the spar with Vegeta, he had only had an episode in the bathroom. All she knew was what Chi Chi had confided in her and Chi Chi had assumed that he was just depressed over Goku's death and whatnot. So…that was all she had to go on, so she basically just saw the same thing as Chi Chi…right up until the spar. Hope that clears things up! Thank you so much for the review!

Author's Note (to clear up my own stupid mistakes): Did I say four months pregnant? I meant six months. And, I know I mentioned Marron before, so the time line is sort of fucked up…but this is a fanfiction! I can do whatever I want. So I suppose I should add a "sort of AU warning" to this chapter. So…now that that whole mess is cleared up…on to the fiction!

Piccolo didn't stop until they had reached the wilderness.

Gohan didn't bother struggling, or complaining, or even talking to his tall green mentor. He knew he would just make things worse for himself when Piccolo finally did confront him and he was already dreading the questions he knew were coming. He had tried so hard to hide it, had worked so hard to seem normal, and now not only did Piccolo have his confirmation that Gohan was indeed hiding something from him, but now the others, even his mother, knew something was wrong as well.

His pregnant mother. She already had enough to deal with; he couldn't have her worrying about his mental state as well.

Piccolo dragged him down into the first clearing he could find in the lush, green forest they were flying over. He shoved Gohan roughly against the first tree he saw, holding him in place with strong hands staring down at him with hard, onyx eyes.

"Gohan."

One word and the boy could feel every ounce of disappointment the Namekian was feeling seeping into and through his body. He winced, slumping slightly in Piccolo's grasp and didn't bother responding. It wasn't his turn to talk yet.

"You've been hiding something from me, Gohan. I let you keep it to yourself because you seemed so determined to bear it on your own and I didn't want to upset you more," Piccolo paused here, his expression becoming severe, "But this is getting ridiculous. You almost killed Vegeta back there. In fact, had Krillin not intervened, I think you would have, kid. You would have murdered him. I have stood by and watched long enough. This is the last straw, Gohan. Vegeta's right, you are out of control. But I know it's not your fault and I know that you are struggling with it. I will help you. But you need to tell me exactly what the problem is. So now I am going to ask you one more time. _What is going on?_"

The demi-saiyan was momentarily overwhelmed by his best friend's words. Piccolo had offered help before, but never like this. Never with such conviction, sincerity…almost desperation. _He must realize how dangerous I'm becoming._ The thought made him wince, despite how true it was. He was dangerous. He had just proved it.

Some hero he was.

"I…" Gohan started to speak, but trailed off lamely, his eyes sliding shut.

Piccolo bared his teeth, leaning down so his face was inches from that of his student.

"Don't make me ask you again, Gohan."

The threat was very real. Gohan knew Piccolo wouldn't hesitate to beat it out of him; he had never been one for polite questions and patience. The demi-saiyan was surprised it had taken so long for his mentor to get so fed up with his behavior. He looked up into those black eyes and saw the anger there, but underneath the rough façade he also saw the concern. It was the end of the line. He wasn't going to be allowed to leave this clearing without telling the truth. Piccolo would tolerate nothing less.

There was nothing for it.

Gohan swallowed hard. "I…I don't really know," he confessed in a low voice, breaking eye contact in favor of the grass beneath his feet. He felt Piccolo's fingers tighten on his upper arms.

"What do you mean?"

A silence followed this question as the boy considered an answer. But once again, he didn't know what to say. He didn't understand what was happening to him anymore than his concerned teacher did. Gohan looked slowly up into his friend's eyes once more, his own black orbs shining with tears. Piccolo drew his head back, looking concerned, "Gohan…it's okay…"

"No…" the demi-saiyan whispered, his voice thick with unshed tears, "No, it's not okay…" He could feel himself beginning to shake, beginning to sob…

Beginning to break.

Without a second thought he threw himself into the strong arms of his dearest friend and sobbed, wild, uncontrolled words ripping themselves from his lips as he wailed like the child he had never been allowed to be.

"Piccolo, I don't understand! I…I stopped Cell, didn't I? I saved the world! I fought as hard as I could! I gave everything I had! And I stopped him! So why is this happening to me? WHAT DID I DO WRONG?!"

"Nothing," he heard Piccolo whisper and felt a face bury itself in his hair, "You did nothing wrong, Gohan."

"Then why?" he moaned, pushing himself further into the protective shell Piccolo had formed around him. He felt the body he was pressed against shudder as the Namek considered his question.

"I don't know, Gohan. I just don't know…"

* * *

"_Where is my son?_"

Krillin shrank back as Chi Chi advanced on him, her eyes slits and her fingers balled into shaking fists of rage. He doubted the fact that she was six months pregnant with her second child would stop her from attacking him. Goku's wife had never been one for reason when it came to her first born.

"Chi Chi," he waved his hands in front of him as though the feeble gusts of air the movement created could push the fuming mother away from him, "Calm down!"

"Not until you tell me where my Gohan is!"

Krillin slumped into the counter she had backed him into, his eyes flicking to Vegeta for help. The Saiyan Prince glared at him, silently daring him to ask for aid in his battle against Chi Chi. Of course he wouldn't get any help from _that_ corner. Vegeta was too busy licking the wounds Gohan had dealt to his pride to pay much attention to anything else.

"Chi Chi…" he paused to consider the possibilities. What did you say to a mother whose son had quite possibly gone temporarily crazy? "Chi Chi, Gohan ran off with Piccolo to hang out."? That would do more damage than good. Everyone knew how Chi Chi felt about Piccolo. "Chi Chi, Gohan is a little insane…well, not really insane, just a little out of control. Oh, and by the way, he almost killed Vegeta, so Piccolo took him to figure out what's going on."?

…That was a disaster waiting to happen.

"Well," Chi Chi leaned forward, her fists resting on her hips and her eyes flashing dangerously, "Where is he, Krillin?"

"He…" what had Piccolo told him to say? "Needed some time, Chi Chi."

"Needed some time? What does that mean?"

The ex monk sighed. When had his life ever been easy? When would it get easier?

"It means," Vegeta spat from his position in the corner of the living room, "that the kid is completely insane."

Krillin gaped at the Saiyan Prince as Chi Chi rounded on him, demanding to know exactly what that meant.

So much for being discreet.


End file.
